One of Van Dyke's cars, the Cyclone, is a luxury liner for up to four passengers harking back to the Model T, which seems like an appropriate reference as we are at the dawn of alternative transportation. Perfect for a leisurely Sunday pursuit, the boxy vehicle probably moves at about the speed of a fast stroll. Not so practical as a marketable design, but a great in-your-face practical joke on the auto industry's cheap-gasoline-fueled frenzy, in which 'retro' means urban commuting in a pickup truck.

Van Dyke's Zeppelin model looks more like what most enthusiasts want in a cross between a bike and a car. It can accommodate up to two passengers and cargo, keeps all of that out of the weather, and can maintain 25 mph with a 750-watt electric assist motor, critical for when the route veers from the bicycle path onto the roads.

It reminds us of the super efficient human-powered Twike, which has earned the right to join other members of the Teutonic engineering club on the famous German autobahn by maintaining highway speeds of 55 mph -- at a cost that rivals an electric car though.

If Van Dyke can commercialize his concept car at a price point somewhere above that of a fancy tandem and well below what a plug-in car costs, we think there is a significant hungry market in the niche he targets.

Van Dyke documents his experiments on his website FuturePeople. Check out his wide-bike feasibility study on his research blog, in which he asks 'how do cars react to a slow, heavy bike in traffic'?